First CA meet by Dec-end likely

KATHMANDU, DEC 01 -
Enjoying the privileges of prime minister, Chairman of the Interim Election Government Khil Raj Regmi will convene the first meeting of the second Constituent Assembly ( CA ) by December-end, according to government spokesperson Madhav Prasad Poudel.

Poudel, who is also the minister for Information and Communications, said that the government would not wait for 21 days as enshrined in the Interim Constitution, adding that the meeting would be called immediately after the Election Commission (EC) publishes the final results of the proportional representation election.

The Article 69 (1) of the Interim Constitution states that the first meeting of the CA shall be convened by the Prime Minister within 21 days after the EC publishes the final results of the CA election. Subsequent meetings shall be held as per the decision of the person presiding over the CA .

The EC is writing to all eligible political parties, which have made it to the CA this time, to nominate their respective PR candidates in a week, Poudel said.

“The parties will have three days to make any corrections before the EC announces the final results. It will take around 10 days for the EC to complete the formalities. So it will not take us more than 15 days to complete necessary arrangements and call the house,” he said.

Revealing the government’s intention to pave the way for a new government, he said, “We want to relieve ourselves of the responsibility as soon as possible.”

Contrary to the provision in the Interim Constitution, some question if the chairman can enjoy that privileges given to the PM. But Minister Poudel rejected those

suggestions saying that at the time of removal of the constitutional difficulties for the formation of the current government in May 2012, it was mentioned that all executive powers enjoyed by the prime minister will be vested in the chairman.

The second point of the removal of the constitutional difficulties among the political parties read, “Clause (1) of Article 38 of the Constitution provides that the prime minister shall be appointed and the Council of Ministers shall be formed under his/her chairmanship.

However, in order to implement the political consensus to form the Council of Ministers under the chairpersonship of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, there is a hurdle created by sub-clause (b) of clause (7) of Article 38 of the Constitution. The prime minister shall be relieved from the office if he/she is

not a member of the Legislature-Parliament till the Council of Ministers is formed under the chairpersonship of the chief justice of the Supreme Court.”

After the formation of the CA , the parties will hold negotiations on government formation and table a proposal to this effect and get it endorsed in the House. Before the appointment of the CA chairman, the oldest member will proceed the CA as well as the parliament.

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